WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.580 When this timer hits zero, 2 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:07.140 I'm going to hit this big red button, and set off that fireworks display 3 00:00:07.140 --> 00:00:09.820 with just one minor change of plan. 4 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:14.200 Those 10 minutes of fireworks are going to get set off in 10 seconds. 5 00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:16.040 - Today we're firing mainly an aerial show. 6 00:00:16.040 --> 00:00:19.080 So that'll be shells fired out of the tubes that you can see behind us. 7 00:00:19.080 --> 00:00:20.940 They're launched up to height, 8 00:00:20.940 --> 00:00:24.970 throwing stars out ranging from 60 to 120 metres. 9 00:00:24.970 --> 00:00:27.450 You've then got ground-level effects which are mines, 10 00:00:27.450 --> 00:00:29.870 pretty much shells but without the lifting charge. 11 00:00:29.870 --> 00:00:32.890 And then, finally, there are a couple of slices that will throw out width. 12 00:00:32.890 --> 00:00:34.440 - From a design point of view, traditionally, 13 00:00:34.440 --> 00:00:36.790 most of the shows we do are synchronised to music. 14 00:00:36.790 --> 00:00:41.380 Normally in a 10 minute track, we could have anywhere up to 1,000 cues, 15 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:44.550 and each and every cue has to be assigned a firework. 16 00:00:44.550 --> 00:00:47.490 And then it's a case of physically wiring in every single igniter. 17 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:49.683 We tend to use an igniter for every firework 18 00:00:49.683 --> 00:00:52.260 so we have a high degree of control over the show. 19 00:00:52.260 --> 00:00:56.890 And then we run the fire file and stand back and wait 20 00:00:56.890 --> 00:01:00.330 for the computer to fire all of the 1,000 cues or so. 21 00:01:00.330 --> 00:01:03.980 What we're intentionally doing today is shifting the time, 22 00:01:03.980 --> 00:01:05.960 and rather than firing a 10 minute sequence, 23 00:01:05.960 --> 00:01:09.710 we're going to fire all of the cues within a hundredth of a second. 24 00:01:09.710 --> 00:01:13.970 So that effectively, everything will lift almost instantaneously together. 25 00:01:13.970 --> 00:01:16.500 - There are plenty of stories and videos of fireworks display companies 26 00:01:16.500 --> 00:01:19.980 that have made that same change by accident. 27 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:22.740 Or, they've hit the test button with everything live. 28 00:01:22.740 --> 00:01:25.680 Or, they've zeroed out the timings with what one company called 29 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.660 "an unintentional additional procedural step." 30 00:01:28.660 --> 00:01:31.020 Which, in the media, is called a technical hitch. 31 00:01:31.020 --> 00:01:33.250 Or, worse, human error. 32 00:01:33.250 --> 00:01:35.380 And the investigation ends there. 33 00:01:35.380 --> 00:01:37.660 Someone hit the wrong button, that explains it, 34 00:01:37.660 --> 00:01:40.060 we don't need to look any further. 35 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:41.810 But I think that's wrong. 36 00:01:41.810 --> 00:01:43.730 And a lot of other people think so, too. 37 00:01:43.730 --> 00:01:46.600 - As you go through, firstly, the testing procedure, 38 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:48.890 then the checking procedure and arming procedure, 39 00:01:48.890 --> 00:01:50.540 the computer will prompt questions, 40 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:53.540 asking if the safety area is clear, if people are close. 41 00:01:53.540 --> 00:01:56.430 - What the computer does is send a very low voltage 42 00:01:56.430 --> 00:01:59.550 down the line to make sure and test for continuities. 43 00:01:59.550 --> 00:02:02.330 And we know in advance, without actually firing anything, 44 00:02:02.330 --> 00:02:03.660 that all the circuits are complete, 45 00:02:03.660 --> 00:02:06.980 and that we know it's all gonna fire as planned. 46 00:02:06.980 --> 00:02:09.850 We then run through various other test procedures 47 00:02:09.850 --> 00:02:12.030 to make sure that there's comms with the modules, 48 00:02:12.030 --> 00:02:13.460 and the firing panel. 49 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:16.220 The final one is a firepower test, just to make sure that the 50 00:02:16.220 --> 00:02:19.770 capacitor in each of the modules is fully working and charging. 51 00:02:19.770 --> 00:02:23.590 We have to make sure that we think up as many scenarios 52 00:02:23.590 --> 00:02:26.720 that can possibly go wrong, that will cause us problems, 53 00:02:26.720 --> 00:02:29.040 and it's all about mitigating against that. 54 00:02:29.040 --> 00:02:31.910 - If it's possible for a human to hit the wrong button, 55 00:02:31.910 --> 00:02:34.410 and set off an entire fireworks display by accident, 56 00:02:34.410 --> 00:02:36.960 then maybe the problem isn't with the human. 57 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:38.000 It's with that button. 58 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.580 If it's possible to mix up minutes and fractions of a second 59 00:02:40.580 --> 00:02:42.060 like we've done deliberately, 60 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:43.860 then maybe the system isn't clear. 61 00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:46.450 Or, maybe the prelaunch checklist isn't thorough enough. 62 00:02:46.450 --> 00:02:49.160 This isn't just about fireworks, it's about anything 63 00:02:49.160 --> 00:02:53.040 that is somehow one human error away from disaster. 64 00:02:53.040 --> 00:02:55.780 People make mistakes, and all our systems need to be 65 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.150 designed to be ready for it. 66 00:02:58.150 --> 00:03:01.460 That's why this button doesn't actually do anything. 67 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:04.070 The professionals over there are the ones actually doing the firing. 68 00:03:04.070 --> 00:03:05.100 Take it away! 69 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:10.180 - Five, four, three, two, one... 70 00:03:10.760 --> 00:03:11.600 fire. 71 00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:20.718 - Awesome! 72 00:03:20.718 --> 00:03:26.272 - Oh, my God. 73 00:03:26.272 --> 00:03:27.866 - One, fire. 74 00:03:47.690 --> 00:03:48.857 - Did it fire(?) 75 00:03:51.930 --> 00:03:52.763 - Wow. 76 00:03:52.763 --> 00:03:54.610 - Now I see why they take longer than that. 77 00:03:54.610 --> 00:03:55.820 - Yeah.